Put quite simply, Ange Postecoglou’s Brisbane Roar is hands down the greatest domestic footballing side Australia has ever seen.
In every measurable way the Roar has over the past 18 months achieved a level of excellence that has taken it two or even three levels above every other past or present A-League club.
Whilst we are not privy to what surely must be a quite layered and complex series of coaching principles and methodologies, the results that we are seeing every week out on the park, speak for themselves.
Those qualities that stand Brisbane Roar apart from every other team include the following:-
a) A total commitment to play out from the back. Even under the tightest of pressure keeper Michael Theoklitos never boots the ball long; apart from actual saves, he acts as more of a goalkeeping sweeper always seeking out with accurate throws and passes, defensive players running into space.
And then as we see in almost every facet of Roar’s play, there are almost always multiple passing options for the receiver to then choose to pass onto.
b) An incredibly high level of one and two touch passing skills. This team has been drilled and drilled and drilled to play this way. The two deceptive qualities in Brisbane’s play is they seem to have so much time on the ball and the potential receivers of the next pass appear to have so much space to work in.
Brisbane has achieved something of a football Nirvana where complex strategies are played out using speed of movement, creation of space (and therein options) and precision of passing, each underpinned by supreme fitness. It has already been said by newly signed players that Ange tells them it may take six to twelve months for them to become fully integrated into their style of play, such is the level of understanding and intensity required.
c) Following on from the previous point, there can surely be no fitter team than Brisbane. The longer the game goes on, the better Brisbane gets and this must surely be testament to training that focuses almost entirely (according to Ange) on fitness achieved with the ball.
Whatever that actually means in training terms, the result is a team of players that not only to have incredible lung-busting aerobic capabilities but do so whilst maintaining something like an incredible 92.7% passing accuracy.
d) A ferocious will to win back any lost ball. It is again the level of fitness, combined with strategies drummed into the players that ensures that every turnover is met with almost instantaneous challenges, defending at all times from front to back. Opposition players are typically starved of time and space.
e) Ange has taught his squad of players a system that is greater than its sum player parts; that is, a team that is not reliant on specific individuals.
In virtually every previous A-League champion team, that team was heavily reliant on a few quality individuals. If those individuals were injured or transferred that team would typically lose its competitive advantage. Brisbane has already shown it has the ability to change the names but not its game.
f) An ability to keep re-setting playing and tactical benchmarks. One of Ange Postecoglou’s most fascinating proclamations made during the off-season was (and excuse me if a paraphrase) to take Roar to a new level of playing excellence, to exceed the achievements of the Roar’s Championship year, to in effect, move the goalposts even further away from the chasing opposition.
Everything that we have seen in these opening rounds of the 2011/2012 A-league season should serve to confirm that these proclamations, far from being wishful thinking, were expertly planned and executed realities.
g) A commitment to stay the distance; to set Brisbane Roar up as a dynasty team; one capable of ruling the A-League over time and taking on and beating the best in Asia. Other teams have aspired similarly but Postecoglou, especially through the methods described in all the previous points, seems to have created the ideal process to actually achieve it.
It is these last two points in particular that should serve to both inspire and frighten the chasing pack of teams. For those coaches and teams willing to grasp the nettle and take up the challenge some very hard decisions need to be made.
Quite simply the old A-League methods of hiring a decent local or affordable overseas coach, buying in a couple of star imports, mix in a collection of quality domestic players and hope it all gels (and then if it doesn’t work out, get a new coach and shuffle the player mix for next year), will no longer work.
In 2010 and especially in 2011, when facing Brisbane Roar, too many A-league coaches are being caught bringing a knife to a gun fight.
It was Albert Einstein who said that “problems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.” A-League coaches are largely trying to defeat Brisbane Roar using methods that are more strategic than structural.
High pressing is the A-League’s ‘new black’. Several teams have already attempted and failed to stay with the Roar using variations of the high press. The fact is that the Roar utilizes the high press better than anyone because it is one of the building blocks of the team. It isn’t a single strategy but rather just another intrinsic part the Roar’s rich footballing tapestry.
So is Brisbane Roar domestically beatable? Of course. Sooner or later someone is going to be able to pick the Roar’s lock for long enough to break their unbeaten run. It may happen (hopefully) next week but it might not happen for a year.
However whenever this extraordinary unbeaten run comes to an end, the real question to be asked of the winning coach and team is, could they genuinely expect to do it again?
Postecoglou’s Brisbane Roar has given Australian Football an extraordinary opportunity; to learn from what it has done. Ange took over the Brisbane Roar, pulled it to pieces and then re-built it into something completely different; a ground up roots and branches change of philosophy, intent and application. Unlike all other A-League teams the Roar does not adjust itself tactically and strategically to whom it plays. It plays the way it plays and others find themselves having to adjust to it.
Football coaches are stubborn and like to believe they are right. However I would imagine it will not take many thrashings like we saw last Friday night for them to see that they must start thinking (as Ange Postecoglou clearly did) outside the boxes they know so well. Does this mean we want or will get nine other Brisbane Roar clones? I don’t think so.
However what it should mean is that coaches (and the managements that employ them) will start to change their philosophies in how their teams are built, how they play and how higher levels of application can be sustained over time.
It will take time; it may take years but as sure as the sun rises in the morning and Brisbane Roar continues to win games and probably championships, it most assuredly will happen. For those of us who do not support Roar, it may be a slow and painful journey but it is one we are going to bear because the standard of our domestic football will surely improve out of sight.
Brisbane Roar has given us the gift we needed to get.
MelbCro
Guest
Pretty sure Knights made 5 Grand Finals in 6 seasons. In that time 2 NSL titles and 4 Minor Premierships. That sounds like dominance to me.
dingowild
Guest
love what 'fussball' and 'bes' had to say in apparently rare agreement about brisbane roar's playing style being similar to that of the german national team of now and the 2010 world cup. oh, how much more thrilling germany played than the tedious spaniards who were helped out of jail by the referee once again in another dull 1:0 in their undeserved offside win against paraguay. germany's team had just got their style together and were very hard done by re. thomas muller's hilarious red card, thus missing his explosive marauding runs against spain. but in 2012 and 2014 they'll win both the european and world cup and repeat the double of 72 and 74. the good thing for brizzie: they are even less dependent on individuals than the already quite autarkic/self-sustaining germany (but see them without muller, ozil, schweinsteiger or klose). brisbane can develop their style at their own pace in the a-league, there is not the quality of domestic competition at the moment for it to be challenged for this year's aussie title. the bad thing for brizzie: ditto. meaning that the roar has little true competition to test the real depth of their skills under counter-pressure and thus hone it for the acl games. if they do manage to maintain their confidence at the higher level of the acl matches, their unselfish game will draw on itself as germany's did during their 4:1 over england or their 4:0 annihilation of then title co-favorites argentina. if brisbane roar stay true to themselves at that higher level, a n y t h i n g will be possible!
rip Enke
Guest
He was publicly vilified and made out as a hopeless coach, which I am sure isn't a pleasurable experience. He did what lesser men do not, got more education and back on the horse stealing his resolve to be better. As you said the limited control he had over the NYT was limited and alluded to that fact for the failure. So the catalyst product was to improve his skills as a coach and to understand what expectations he needed to be successful ie;a more autonomous relationship with his players and supporting regime.
Simon Boegheim
Guest
Goodness! Fussball! Third article today, but a very objective and well written post. You have gone up another level in my esteem. Keep up the good work. By the way, Saturday night is going to be an absolute humdinger and the atmosphere at Etihad is going to be incredible. There is no denying that MVFC attract the best crowds, but Brisbane will improve. We certainly did very well towards the end of last season and I am sure that we have matched you with the GF, or close to it anyway. Good things come to those who wait, like you are doing with Victory's performance. You are confident MVFC's on field performance will improve and I am certain that the Roar will do that off-field. Have a good one.
Doug
Guest
The situation with the national junior team is different to where he is with Qld. He gets to train and drill these guys day in day out for most of the year. With the juniors he would have got them a couple of weeks before a major fixture. If he tried to use this current system with the juniors I cant how it would have worked. The passing and timing just wouldnt have been there. Apart from speeding Ange's move out of the Aus coaching job and into a role where he was better suited, I cant see how Craig Foster's rants would have helped him in any way.
rip Enke
Guest
@apaway that's why the gift, opposing clubs start asking questions, expectations and goals are higher. Ange has shown what can be done. What's surprising is that there are some good nsl coaches out there like eg: Stuart Munroe (who seems to do well every where he goes ), not getting a look at, not even as second coach. May have something to do with cirtification. I think we need to have a bit of belief in our coaches and look at giving them a chance to showcase/develop their skills as well as our players, or Ange will be a prodigy and not a presage of things to come.
jamesb
Guest
i hope Ange stays at the Roar for the next 5 to 6 years. It would be sad if he left earlier than that. at least in that time frame, Ange would've set up the Roar perfectly for the future with succession plans, and also by then, you would think other teams in the A-League would start to play at the level of Brisbane Roar. Also Asia is only around the corner. I'm sure he has built up the Roar to have a seroius tilt, not only at back to back titles in the a-league, but success in Asia as well. ATM; Brisbane Roars winning reign could be an historical turning point to the long term success of the A-League and football in Australia.
Rusty0256
Guest
Naturally there will be ongoing comparisons between the best of the A-League (currently the Roar by some margin) and the great teams of the NSL. I was a supporter and / or a spectator right through the NSL years and there were certainly some great teams and players in that era. Melbourne Knights were a revelation in the Viduka era and South Melbourne could be a joy to watch when they got on a roll. I never thought much of Sydney City whose success was mostly borne of muscle, bustle and thumped balls to Kosmina but Adelaide City under Zoran Matic were sublime and remain my all time favourite. However at the end of the day it's all a bit pointless to try and make any meaningful comparisons between different teams from different eras in different leagues. The level of professionalism and sports science alone are several levels above what was on offer 10/15 years ago and who is to say if a Melbourne Knights loaded up with a youthful team of Viduka, Spiteri, Marusic and Marth etc. wouldn't have been up there with the Roar in 2011. It all just becomes speculative opinion without any possibility of factual resolution.
BES
Guest
Cant believe I am about to type this but: "Fussball - I agree with you on this one" (excuse me while I take a quick break and wash the nasty taste out of my mouth :-) As a Brisbane die-hard supporter I have rolled around the floor laughing at your - and soooooo many other MV supporters increasingly desparate attempts in recent times to find SOME way to continue to hold MV up as somehow superior to Brisbane.... But in this point re Brisbane vs Barcelona I agree completely. Spain at the most recent World Cup BORED ME TO DEATH! It was anti-football in the extreem. I would hazaad a greater reason for non-footballing people to be turned off the game than diving. I thoroughly agree that Brisbanes style is much more reminicient of the fabulous German national team. Why take 57 passes to get nowhere when with 3-4 (on the ground with stunning accuracy and pace) you can have it in the net at the other end. I have watched mindless minutes of Spains supposed ticca-taaca (what a stupid name!) on youtube and watched endless 20-25 pass sequences and then gues what, how many of them actually end in a goal or even a shot on goal? Pretty close to nil. How many goals did Spain actually manage to score at the WC? 7 was it? That would have to be the lowest return from any winning team in history. Spains ticca-taaca in other words, is a greater blight on the game than the Italian cattenaca (or however it is spelt). It is fundamentally a defensive tactic that bores the opposition to death until they lose concentration and (possibly) concede a goal. So long live the briliant Brisbane. and Fussbal, You got one right afterall.... ;-)
Michael
Guest
Great, great article. While a lot of pundits have said how lovely Brisbane are to watch, they've not broken it down so well. One thing you missed, which Fuss picked up on, is the unselfishness the players show. It's remarkable. Like fans of most other A-League teams, I sit in front of my TV shouting at the screen "Move the ball!! Pass! Pass it! Pass it! Why are you holding on to it?! Don't dwell on it, you're dwelling on it! Stop dwelling on it! Where's your team mates?! Who's supporting the guy with the ball? Where's the movement off the ball?". Yeah, the usual. And yes, at Newcastle, we still have many of those players who are still playing like U10's and think they're Cristiano Ronaldo and have the right to try to dribble the whole way up the field by themselves. Passing to someone else seems secondary sometimes and I find it very frustrating to watch. Rant over.
Punter
Guest
Great article, thanks. From reading the comments, the Roar now have the ability to transend old Soccer, new football & Euro only football fans. We have a football side (a local club side) that is taking the standard of football to a new level & whether you are a Brisbane Roar supporter, or follow Melborne Victory, Sth Melblourne, Man Unted, Barcelona, we can all appreciate a local side playing with such style. Even though I am a SFC fan I just want Brisbane to keep winning until we can have more teams at this level or above.
apaway
Guest
Fantastic article, Rusty, and echoes what I think a lot of fans - both casual and committed - have come to realise about Ange and the Roar. Apart from his results, Ange impresses as a spokesperson. He is articulate and self-deprecating, willing to analyse a game or team when asked to on Fox Sports without becoming cliched. It is very difficult to compare the current Brisbane Roar team with clubs of past eras. On pure results, the Roar aren't there yet, given Sydney City won 3 championships in 4 seasons. And clubs like South Melbourne, Melbourne Knights and Adelaide City were dominant for periods of the NSL. In the main, those clubs probably had to do it a bit tougher, on worse grounds, without the advantage of full-time professionalism in both players and support staff. For me, an NSL club who comes close to the Roar would be the Bertie Mariani-led Marconi side of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Professional set up, excellent facilities, a distinct playing style led by a coach committed to long-term excellence both on and off the field. Realistically though, at the moment, the Roar seem to be in a league of their own.
rip Enke
Guest
Agree futbanous, also another reason I never jumped aboard the victory train.
David V.
Guest
The South Melbourne teams of the mid-80s with Crino as the maestro were very good for the time. I think we can judge that in different circumstances, because Australia's best didn't gravitate to foreign leagues until the 90s like most of the world before then.
David V.
Guest
As an Everton supporter our most successful teams have always played a similar style to that described, we've never had much success being anything else. Clough always had his share of rather slow players at Forest- John Robertson and Ian Woan for wingers over the years, Neil Webb and Garry Parker for playmakers, none of those fitting the desription of speed merchants! But even after Clough left and Frank Clark took over, the last decent Forest team with Roy, Collymore and Bohinen played the same way and could be magical. When they got a good run going, it was like what you saw on Friday...
Melange
Guest
I don't think Ange will leave to just chase money, there has to be more to an offer then that. rip Enke is right, it is clear he made sure he is in the position of control at Brisbane, he got rid of some very high profile footballers and had the Board's full backing. Could he get that at every club he goes to? It would appear he didn't in Greece. His success will be a big test for the Club. I can't believe clubs haven't done the research to identify the Coaches they want as part of succession planning. Every time a coach leaves there is either too long a search (MV, Adelaide) or their replacement has been sourced by recycling through old coaches who've had their 15 minutes in the sun but not shown they are worth taking again (Kosmina, Culina). Have Roar already identified a number of coaches who will be a like for like replacement of Ange? I hope so, as when the day comes, and unfortunately it will, when he leaves they can quickly use their shortlist to keep this wonderful team playing wonderful football.
Rellum
Roar Guru
I would say that the Roar are still the fittest team in the league, and the way they approach training means they get fitter as the season goes on, where other teams get jaded and run out of steam.
Hamish Alcorn
Guest
At least then let this new owner be aware of a couple of facts, and then we will be obliged to let him make his business decisions. 1. The Roar will immediately go down hill when Ange is replaced. This isn't being negative: it is just reality. 2. The world market isn't the best, and Ange is going to increase in value. Better to offer him a pay rise with an extended contract, and look to sell him when he's worth even more. 3. Under Ange, The Roar will produce a fairly steady stream of saleable players. Ange is not an egg, he is the goose. 4. Ange is potentially a long-term investment in a playing culture and fan culture that could be second to none in Australia and a force in Asia.
Futbanous
Guest
Still in relative terms for me they stood out by some individual brilliance. Also always liked the atmosphere even on TV at their ground.
Futbanous
Guest
The mere mention of Ange leaving before his contract is up sends shivers down my spine. It will destroy the headline of this article. This guy not only can coach,but knows whats required to build a football culture. That requires a few seasons in control with the likes of Trimmers & the Bakrie group backing him up. There is no instant solution to building up a club with mainstream appeal from scratch. Any loss in momentum for the Roar in the next few years is not only a body blow for Brisbane fans but the A-league in general. The longer their excellence continues the more chance of other clubs wanting to be at that level.